Northern Syrian movements condemn Turkish invasion

January 18, 2018
Issue 
The Movement for Democratic Society (TEV-DEM) called upon the Kurdish people and Syrian society to stand against the Turkish attacks.

The umbrella organisation of political and social movements in northern Syria, Movement for Democratic Society (TEV-DEM), released a statement on recent attacks and threats by the Turkish state.

Turkey has attacked the Afrin district in northern Syria, which is part of the Northern Syria Democratic Federation that is seeking to create a new revolutionary system of “democratic confederalism”.

TEV-DEM called upon the Kurdish people and Syrian society to stand against the Turkish attacks and urged the international community to provide security for the people of Afrin.

“The Turkish state’s attacks against Afrin canton is a threat to all peoples of Syria,” TEV-DEM said.

The organisation said the Turkish attacks were aimed at undermining the Northern Syria Democratic Federation and international efforts to solve the Syrian crisis.

TEV-DEM said the People’s Defense Units (YPG), Women’s Defense Units (YPJ) and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — armed groups supporting the democratic confederalism model — were “acting within the frame of self-defence. The duty of these forces is to protect the peoples of Northern Syria.

“Because of the war in Syria, the three cantons [in northern Syria] host more than 2.5 million refugees and their security also should be maintained.”

TEV-DEM said Syrian people should know Turkey aims to divide Syria: “The occupying military powers want to occupy Afrin and Manbij ... We want to emphasise that Afrin is not alone.”

[Compiled from ANF News.]

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